Teenage girl targeted in racist attack on Plymouth birthday trip

A TEENAGE girl was injured during a birthday ice skating trip – in what police have branded a "sickening" racist attack.

Aimee Harris told The Herald how she was punched and kneed in the face by a fellow teen, whose parents disgracefully laughed off the youngster's tirade of racial abuse.

The 17-year-old today branded her attacker "pathetic" as detectives examined CCTV footage in a bid to hunt down the culprit.

Hairdressing student Aimee was enjoying a pal's birthday party at the Plymouth Pavilions ice rink when the attack happened.

While she was on the ice she was tripped by another teenage girl – who was skating expertly with a boy as young as ten – but assumed the clash was an accident.

However, after leaving the rink to remove her skates, the girl approached Aimee's group of friends and a row ensued.

The Truro-born teen said racist lnguage was directed at her and she was told to "go back to her own country".

Aimee then approached the girl's family to report the language to the youngster's mother.

"I said, 'She can't go round being racist to people'," the Saltash College student said. "They just laughed and were saying to her I wasn't worth it.

"I felt her family were basically encouraging her.

"She followed me and came up behind me and pulled my hair back and punched me in the face.

"I think she punched me twice, then kneed me in the face."

Detective Constable Louise Steele, who is hunting Aimee's attacker, said the girl's own mother eventually stepped in to pull her daughter away.

Aimee, from Torpoint, escaped with swelling to her face, a bruised nose and a small cut to the inside of her lip.

"I wasn't hurt," she said. "But I want them to know how much it hurts to get racist abuse. People like them are pathetic."

DC Steele added: "This was an absolutely unprovoked attack on a teenage girl who was out having fun to celebrate a friend's birthday – and the most alarming part is that it appears the offender was there with her family.

"It would appear from speaking to witnesses that members of her family were laughing at the racial abuse, which just makes it even more sickening.

"This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated in Plymouth and we are confident somebody will come forward to identify the offender."

The Pavilions was busy at the time of the assault, at around 3pm on Saturday, September 15.

Police are searching for a white female, aged around 16 or 17 and of slim build.

She had blonde hair in an untidy bun and wore a dark grey hooded top with distinctive yellow stripes down the sleeves, dark blue skinny jeans and pink fluffy socks.

Anybody with information is asked to call DC Steele, of Devon and Cornwall Police's diverse communities team, on 101.

Aimee Harris told The Herald how she was punched and kneed in the face by a fellow teen, whose parents disgracefully laughed off the youngster's tirade of racial abuse
With parents like that who needs enemies?